It’s Time To Start Collecting Blu-ray Again

The loss of movies and shows from Max is what first got me thinking about switching back to physical media.

I used to assume that while older properties might be hit or miss, the movies and shows coming out during the streaming era would be permanent fixtures in those streaming libraries. When Max suddenly removed An American Pickle, a new movie I loved, I learned that my assumption was dead wrong. 

With the desire to start collecting the movies and shows I love established, I started looking at my options and landed on Blu-ray as the best option.

I considered digital copies on platforms like Amazon and YouTube, but those options are only slightly cheaper than physical copies for lower quality and less convenience.

Once I’d decided on a physical collection instead of a digital library, Blu-ray was the obvious solution, with several upsides I hadn’t considered. 

One of the biggest advantages Blu-ray has over streaming is that it’s higher quality. While some streaming services offer 4K streaming, that ignores that compression means you’ll often end up with variable quality much lower than that. Because it’s not reliant on your internet speed, Blu-ray is a consistently high-quality video that looks great on modern TVs. 

In addition to consistent quality, Blu-ray not being internet dependent is an innate advantage over streaming. Whenever the internet goes out because of weather or my ISP having technical issues, it becomes apparent how much of my entertainment depends on internet access.

While multiplayer gaming and YouTube will always rely on internet access, a physical Blu-ray collection makes losing the internet less inconvenient.

Blu-ray releases also come with bonus features that are often well worth the money. From director’s commentaries to deleted scenes, there’s typically something that makes the Blu-ray version of a movie superior to its streaming counterpart. While some streaming services like Disney+ have started to include bonus features, they remain the exception, not the rule 

For gamers, it’s also easy to collect Blu-ray because modern consoles are already great Blu-ray players.

The X-Box Series X and PS5, as well as last-gen consoles PS4 and X-Box One, all have built-in Blu-ray players, so no extra purchase is necessary. Of course, the digital-only versions of those consoles can’t substitute for a Blu-ray player, but for many gamers, such as myself, they make getting back to physical media easier. 

For those frustrated by the modern streaming age, I can’t recommend a Blu-ray collection highly enough.

It’s become obvious that streaming libraries aren’t permanent, and there are numerous reasons not to buy digital copies. Blu-ray releases are still the norm and it’s easy to find most modern movies and shows on the platform once you start looking.